woo
B2Informal, journalistic, business. Can be slightly playful or ironic.
Definition
Meaning
To try to gain the love, affection, or favour of someone, especially with romantic or persuasive intent.
To seek the support or approval of someone (e.g., voters, customers); (archaic) to court someone for marriage.
Linguistics
Semantic Notes
Implies active, sometimes insistent, effort to win over. Can carry connotations of flattery or superficial charm, especially in business/political contexts.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
Both use the word similarly. The business/political sense (woo investors/voters) is more frequent in American journalism.
Connotations
In both, the romantic sense can sound old-fashioned or literary; the business sense is common. Can imply a slightly calculated or insincere effort.
Frequency
Slightly more frequent in American English, particularly in media/political reporting.
Vocabulary
Collocations
Grammar
Valency Patterns
[Subject] woos [Object (person/group)][Subject] woos [Object] with [means]Vocabulary
Synonyms
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “to woo someone away from (a competitor)”
- “woo and win”
Usage
Context Usage
Business
Common: 'The company is wooing new investors with impressive forecasts.'
Academic
Rare, except in historical/literary analysis regarding courtship.
Everyday
Informal, often humorous: 'He's trying to woo her by cooking elaborate dinners.'
Technical
Not used.
Examples
By Part of Speech
verb
British English
- The politician toured the region to woo potential supporters.
- The software firm is wooing graduates with generous benefits packages.
American English
- The startup is wooing venture capitalists in Silicon Valley.
- He's trying to woo back his ex-girlfriend with flowers.
Examples
By CEFR Level
- He bought her flowers to woo her.
- The company wants to woo young customers.
- The opposition leader is actively wooing undecided voters with new policies.
- They staged an elaborate event to woo potential investors.
- Despite the scandal, the candidate's team successfully wooed back the party's traditional base.
- The city is wooing tech giants with substantial tax incentives.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Imagine a suitor saying 'WOO!' to impress a date – it's an active, vocal effort to win affection.
Conceptual Metaphor
ROMANTIC PURSUIT IS A CAMPAIGN (e.g., wooing voters).
Watch out
Common Pitfalls
Translation Traps (for Russian speakers)
- Not 'ухаживать' in a simple dating sense – implies more targeted effort. Not 'свататься' (to propose). Closer to 'добиваться расположения', 'заигрывать с (избирателями)'.
- False friend: Has no relation to the interjection 'Ура!' (Hooray!).
Common Mistakes
- Using it for simple, non-active attraction ('She wooed him at first sight' – incorrect).
- Confusing it with 'woo' as an exclamation of excitement (different word).
Practice
Quiz
In which context is 'woo' LEAST appropriate?
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
No, while its origin is romantic/literary, it's now very common in business and politics to mean 'actively seek the favour of'.
No, it describes the attempt, not the outcome. You can woo someone unsuccessfully.
It's informal to neutral. It's common in journalism and business writing but may be considered too informal for very formal academic or legal documents.
They are often synonymous. 'Court' can be slightly more formal or old-fashioned in the romantic sense. 'Woo' is more common in modern business/political contexts.